Beabing fob pttmp-opebating membebs



Dec. 16, 1930. J. P. RATIGAN Re. 17,904

BEARING FOR PUMP OPERATING MEMBERS Original Filed May 3, 1926 INVENTOR Reissued Dec. 16, 1930 JAMES P. RATIGAN, 0F LOS GELES, CALIFORNIA BEARING FOR PUMP-OPERATING- MEMBERS Original No. 1,657,178, dated January,24, 1928, Serial No. 106,461, filed May 3, 1926. Application for reissue filed January 18, 1930. Serial No. 421,821.

This invention relates to bearings for the operating members of pumps as, for example, walking beams.

Bearings of this character heretofore employed provided a fixed fulcrum for the operating member and, by my construction of bearing, I obtain a number of distinctive advantages.

In prior bearing constructions for walking beams and like operating members of well pumps, there is considerable lateral strain or bending of the polish rod which of necessity arises from the fact that the beam oscillates on a fixed axis. Furthermore, the relative lengths of the two arms of the lever, represented by the walking beam, does not vary with the prior fixed axis construction of the bearing and, accordingly, the power is not applied to the lever to the greatest advantage, it being held in mind that, because of the necessity of picking up the load at the lower end of the stroke of the polish rod, the application of an increased leverage at this point of the stroke is of advantage.

Accordingly, one of the most important objects of this invention is to minimize the bending of, and consequent strain, to which the polish rod is subjected as the walking beam or other operating member moves to reciprocate said polish rod.

Another very important object is to effect an increase in the power receiving arm and av decrease in the load supporting arm of the walking beam or other, pivoted operating member during that portion of its stroke where the load is picked up, or in other words, the. lower portion of the stroke of the polish rod and, particularly, at the moment that the polish rod changes from its down to its up stroke, at which time the column of fluid being raised and the weight of the sucker rods are imposed upon the walking beam or other operating member.

Another important object is to provide a construction that will not necessitate the use of a lubricant in the bearing. I

Another most important object is freedom from such strains and stresses as are produced in the fixed axis type of bearing when the walking beam or other operating member is deflectedlaterally or, in other w rd 71 said operating member tends to swing to one side or the other of its normal vertical op- I crating plane. a Another object is to readily secure longitudina ladjustment of the beam without the necessity of even loosening a nutor the changmg of any part excepting the position of the beam on its support.

Another object is to provide against, accidental displacement of the operating member from its support, or even tilting of said operatlng member to such an extreme position as would tend to throw the operating member off its support.

Another important object is to facilitate bodily shifting of the walking beam or other pump operating member lengthwise in either direction so as to mostefi'ectually determine the setting of the operating member in relation to the polish rod, thus enabling the load end of the operating member to be moved so as to bring the point at. which the load is applied to said operating member in different pogitions with respect to the line of the polish ro Another object is the elimination of trunnions, shafts and axles, and the provision of a bearing that can be used for light or heavy loads and that, furthermore, will be suitable, in a single size, for use on difierent sizes of Samson posts or similar supports.

. Another object is to provide a well pump operating member with a mounting means affording progressively changing fulcrum contact with a fixed support, whereby to obtain an effective increase of the length of the power arm and a shortening of the load arm of said operating member when said operating member is on its load-lifting stroke. This mventlon secures a maximum leverage of the beam on its power arm-against a minimum leverage of the load arm at the moment of initiating the load movement;

Further objects and advantages will appear inthe subjoined detailed description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the mvention:

F1gure 1 1s a side elevation of a bearmg,

for a pump operating member, constructed j in accordance with the provisions of this invention, said bearing being shown between a pump operating member and a bearing sup port. I

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmental side elevation of'the parts shown in Fig. 1, partly in section. I

Figure 3-is a view of Fig. 2, partly in vertical section on the line indicated by 3 3,

Fig. 2. I

Figure 4 is a side view of one of. the upper bearing members.

.,Figure 5 is a bottom view of-Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a graph indicating, by compari-v son the difference in a rotating fixed axis hearng and my impro v'ed floating fulcrum beari11'g Referring to the drawings, anope-ratmg member, such as a walking beam which is a mounting or bearing includes the: support the heel part 4 of the rocker;

preferably in balance whena vertical line passes through'the center of ithe heel4. and the lowest point of the heel surface, asin the lever of the first class, that is, oneingwhi'ch the fulcrum is between the source of power and the load side or resistance, indicated at B and a support as, for example, a Samson post, at P. My improved bearing is shown in position between-theoperating nember and the support The support P includes a saddle C that constitutes the top portion of the support. The

7 as one of the members thereof, and it also includes a rocker which, in this instance, is secured to the operating member B. It is to be understood that the bearing members may be combined, in' any suitable manner, with the beam and Samson post, i I I In this instance, the rocker and saddle are illustrated as heavy castings attached to the beam and post, respectively.

The rocker member 2 has a topiface adapted to be bolted, or otherwise suitable secured, against the bottom face of the beam '13. The bottom of the rocker has a comparatively wide sole 3 whose face is curved in a true arc, in profile, thoughthecurvature need not be limited to true arc form. Thus the sole is a portion of a cylinder ofn'otation having a long radius as compared totheradins of position of the parts illustratedi'in Fig. 2,

. when the beam is horizontah I One ofthe bearing members is provided with one or more 'recesses'.41 and the other wit-hone or moreprojections or'teeth 5. In

this-particular instance the recesses 41 constitute the intertoothspaces of a series of teeth 12 and there is also a series of the teeth 5. The teeth .5'and recesses 41 extend transversely of the respective bearing members,

and it is to be understood'that said-projections and recesses may be of any other shape than illustrated.

The sides 100- of the rocker'2 constitute bufi'erffacesthatare positioned between up- The beamiB r .flanges 16,. to embrace the'Samson post, and

wardly projecting side cheeks 11, of the support P, that flank said side faces 100 but do not snugly bear thereon, thus normally avoiding setting up friction at these faces when the rocker rocks on the upper face. of the saddle. This permits of lateral swinging of the beam so that it can aline itself with the polish rod and the pitnia-n. The sidecheeks 11, in this instance, project from and are in tegr'a'lwith the plate 10. This upper face is formed by a heavy'top plate 10 of the saddle a nd'the teeth 12 are formed in said plate 10. .The sets of teeth 5, in this instance, are much shorterthan the width of the sole and heel of the rocker which latter, in this particular instance, carries and transfers some of the load to the-top plate 10, An important function of the teeth 5 and recesses41, in this instance, is to'prevent end shift of the beam relative to the support, since it is desired to insure. against slippage between the rockerand. the support. Furthermore, the teeth 5 and recesses 41 form a means for facilitating the proper location of the beam on the sup- .port.

The side portions of the sole or, in other words, those portions that are outward from the ends of the teeth 5', project downwardly, past'the ends of said teeth and the spaces therebetweenand, accordingly, past the ends of the teeth 12, thus preventing sideplay of the beam. Also the cheeks 11 function to prevent sideplay of the beam.

'A-means is provided to loosely retain the beam in any of its working positions and, in. this instance, said means comprises horizontal projections or studs that are secured to the rocker Qan-d project laterally from the faces. into elongate pin apertures 15 in the cheeks, said projections or studs, in

this instance, being formed-by the end portion-s ofa pin 14 that, in this instance, passes entirely through the rocker 2 from side to side thereof.- It .is obvious that the projections or studs could as. readily be formed by sep :arate pins.

The saddle illustrated has strong side has differently spaced'pairs of bolt-holes 17 18 to-permit of selective application of bolts 19 close up to the sides of different widths of posts. i

The pin 14 does not constitute a pivot or fulcrum for the beam, but is simply one form of means to insure against the beam fallingoif of its support when said beam is detached from the polish rod and from thepitman, not shown, by which it is usually operated;

Suitable guy wire bales 20 may be hung on the bolts 19 to brace the post P.

The invention operatesfias follows: The

beam rests on a transverse line of contact with the saddle and when the beam is,- by any means, tilted, this line of contact shifts along the plate 10. When the pump end of the beam is moving down, this line of contact shifts toward said pump end and when said pump end moves upwardly the line of contact shifts toward the power end of the beam;-

Since the fulcrum of the beam shifts, Without relative sliding between the bearing members, there is a shortening of one of the lever arms of the beamand a lengthening of the other lever arm. If the sole 3 points toward the pump rod end A of the lever B, the power arm is increased as the pump end goes down, hence when power is applied to the beam to pullup the pump rod, the power is applied through greater leverage to start the load...

A further advantage of my trunnionless beam is that, instead of the pump rod end A sweeping in an are D concentric to a fixed axis, the rocker sole 3 takes a rolling action on the plate and the beam end A moves in a much flattened curtate cycloid path E (Fig. 6) about the floating fulcrum sole 3.

This straightening of the beam sween is especially helpful during the lower half of both up and down strokes, in which the polish rod of the beam is less extended from its stuffing box and, consequently, has not the give or flexlbflity ithas when in the upper half of its up and down strokes.

- would be if the heel were of the same flat are as the sole 3.

The slots 15 are so proportioned that the beam B, with its attached rocker 2, may be bodily shifted endwise, relative to the support, to bring the pump end or load arm of the beam into the best working position over the line of the pump polish rod. This is done without the necessity of making adjustment of the rocker 2 on the beam itself, since the adjustment is provided for by selective adjustment of the rocker teeth 5 along the teeth 12 of the saddle. It will be that the teeth 12 constitute a fixed rack, in the present instance. V

In placing the beam on its support, it will be clear that, after it has been decided what position the beam is to occupy in relation to the polish rod, one of the teeth 5 and one of the recesses l1 functionas a locating means,

whereby to the saddle.

I claim: v

1. A Samson post for deep well pumps having on its top end a plane uninterrupted top load surface, and a walking beam having a rocker portion presenting a longitudinally curved, smooth rolling tread face meeting the said surface in broad, transverserolling-line contact; whereby to eliminate point contact of the face and the surface under load and to obtain long wear life of the meeting faces and side cheeks limiting sideplay of the rocker.

2. A Samson post for beam pumps provided *ith a plane top bearing plate, and a walking beam having a broad, curved faced properly position the rocker in rocker part bearing and rolling on the said plate along long lines of contact; said rocker part having transverse, medially spaced, rack teeth and said plate having upstanding, intermediately disposed teeth to loosely mesh in the rack teeth and prevent undue end shift "of the beam while working.

3. A Samson post for pumps provided with a top bearing plate, and a walking beam having a broad, curved faced rocker part rolling along the bearing plate; said beam rocker part and said plate having loosely meshing teeth means to prevent creep of the beam, and said teeth means including mutual racks shiftable relatively one on the other to provide an effective change of orbits for the ends of the beam.

4:. A Samson post having on its top abearing plate presenting a smooth loadarea, and a walking beam having a rocker portion presenting smooth, merging heel and sole tread face rolling on transverse lines along the said plate area, the heel being sharply'curved back from the sole to eifect a differential action as the beam rolls from the flatter sole.

5. The combination, in a deep well pump, of a Samson post having a plane-faced top plate with upstanding side cheeks and down wardly extending flanges, means passing through the flanges to secure the plate in place on the'post, a walking beam disposed above the postand having a rocker, loosely fitting between the cheeks, having a curved rolling face resting upon the top plate and a retaining pin passing from cheek to cheek and through the rocker.

p The combination, in a deep well pump, of a Samson post having a plane-faced top plate, side cheeks extending up from the plate, means for securing the plate in position on the post, a walking beam having a rocker with a, curved face rolling on the top plate, said beam being bodily adj ust-able to operate at different positions on the plate to regulate the line of lift on an attached polish rod, and relatively shiftable rack means to' loosely retain the beam in any of its working positions.

sisting of a bed part having a seattto rest upon the head of a Samson post and :having upstanding side cheeks, a .rockerrpart attachable to theiibottom of a walking beam and leose'ly'fittmg between the side cheeks and having a-smoothrollingface bearing onthe saidabedparta; :the mutual parts presenting longitudinally uninterrupted load zones of rolling contact,.and ;a key pin passing through the rodier partmnd into-the bed checks to .paeventioventhrow of the mounted beam.

v.8. ,A pumpoperating mechanism, means for eliminating side strain from the polish nod and for .causing the walking beam end .tokoscillate on a variable axis, comprising a pair'of :bearingmembers, one of said mem- .bers having .anarcuate face in contact with the other 'member, .one of said members pro- .vided' with :arecessand the other with a projectionloosely engaging in said recess where- 'bymelative slippage between said members is prevented when relative rocking between said members occurs, and .a pumpoperating lever secured to the upper member.

, 'A pump operating mechanism, means for-eliminating. side strain from the polish rod and for causing the walking beam end touoscillate on a variable axis, comprising a support :provided with a load surface, said walkingbeam having a rockerport-ionpresenting alongitudinally curved tread face meetingsaid :load-surfacein transverse rolling-line contact whereby to-zeliminate point E contact with the :face and the surface under load and. toobtai n long wear life of the meet ing faces, and side cheeks on the support and laterallyproject-ing faces on they beam between said side cheeks tolimit sideplay of .thewbeam.

10; A pump operatingmechanism, means for causing .the walking beam end to oscillate-on a variable axis and to obtain an increaseof leverage upon the load lifting stroke 7 ofsaidbeam operating mechanism, compris- I a-support, a walking .beam having a curved-faced rocker part bearing and rolling on the support, saidrocker part having transverse, medially spaced rack teeth and said support having upstanding ,inte-rmediately disposed teeth to loosely mesh in the rack teeth and prevent undue end shift of the beam while working.

i 111.: A pump-operating mechanism, means for causingthe walking beam end to'oscillate on a variable axis and to obtain an increase 'oflleverage upon the load lifting stroke of said beam operating. mechanism, comprising a support, and a walking beam lnwi-njg .a broad curved-faced rocker part rolling onithesupport, said beam rocker part and said .support having loosely meshing teeth .means'ito prevent creep of the beam,

and said teeth means including mutualracks shiftable relatively one upon the other to provide an effective'changezof orbits for the lines on the support, the heel being sharply curved'back from the'sole to efiect a differential action as the beam rolls from the flattersole. I

13. A pump operating mechanism, means for eliminating side strain from the polish rodand for causingthe walking beam end to oscillate on a variable axis and to obtain an increaseof leverage upon'the load lifting stroke of said beam operating mechanism, comprising a support provided with upstanding side cheeks, a walking beam disposed above the support and having a rocker rolling on the support and provided with buffer faces] loosely fitting between. the cheeks, and retaining means extending from the. cheeks into the rocker.

' 14L A pump operating mechanism, means for eliminating side strain from the polish rod and for causing the walking beam end to oscillate on a variable axis and to obtain an increase of leverageupon the load lifting stroke of said beam operating mechanism, comprising a pair of bearing members, one of said members provided with a curved face engaging the other member to permit of relative rocking between said members, one of said members provided with elongate aper. turesand the other with studs projecting into said apertures to loosely connect said; members and limit rocking therebetween. I 15. A pump operating mechanism, means for eliminating side strain from the polish rod and for causing the operating lever'to oscillate on a variable axis, comprising a support, a lever of the first class and adapt ed for operating the pumping mechanism of a well having a rocker in rolling contact with said support, and cooperating means on the lever and support to prevent separation of the lever from the support.

16. A pump operating mechanism, means for eliminating side strain from the polish rod and for causing the operating lever'to oscillate on a variable axis, comprising a support, a'lever of the-first class and adapt ed foroperating the pumping mechanismof a well having a rocker in rolling contact with said support, and cooperating means on the lever and support to prevent overthrow of the lever when-operating in its normal vertical operating plane, said means including cheeks and faces between said'cheeks nor- ,lever .to oscillate on a variable axis, comprising a support, a lever of the first class and adapted for operating the pumping mechanism of a well rockably mounted on said support, co-operating means on the lever and sup- 5 port to prevent twisting of the lever out of its normal vertical operatin plane, said means including cheeks and aces between said cheeks normally spaced from said cheeks, and means loosely connecting the cheeks with said faces to limit rocking movement of said lever.

18. A pump operating mechanism, means for causing the pump operating lever to oscillate on a variable axis and for eliminat- 5 ing side strain from the polish rod, including a pump operating lever of the first class and adapted for operating the pumping mechanism of a well adapted to be connected at its lower end with a pump rod and adapted to be connected with a power means at its power end, and a pair of bearing members, one resting on the other and supporting the lever, one of said members having a curved face in engagement with the other to provide for relative rolling between said member to thereby cause shortening of the load arm and lengthening of the power arm of the lever on the down stroke of the load arm.

19. A pump operating mechanism, means for causing the pump operating lever to oscillate on a variable axis and for eliminating side strain from the polish rod, including a pump operating lever of the first class and 30 adapted for operating the pumping mechanism of a well adapted to be connected at its load end with a pump rod and adapted to be connected with a power means at its power end, and a pair of bearing members, one rest- 49 ing on the other and supporting the lever, one of said members having a curved face in engagement with the other to provide for relative rolling between said members to thereby cause shortening of the load arm and lengthening of the power arm of the lever on the down stroke of the load arm, the lengthening of the load arm tending to maintain the end of the load arm in the line of the pump rod.

50 Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 8th day of January, 1930.

JAMES P. RATIGAN. 

